Private Private The 36th Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications Bureau of Information Technology State of G.V.I. Telecommunications Presented by: Rupert O. Ross Director/Chief Information Officer Bureau of Information Technology Office of the Governor 1 | P a g e Private Private INTRODUCTION 1 Greetings Chairman Marvin A. Blyden, Vice Chair, and honorable members of the 2 Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications. Thank you for the 3 opportunity to appear before you today and to participate in this important discussion on the 4 state of telecommunications in the Virgin Islands. I am Rupert Ross, Director and Chief 5 Information Officer of the Bureau of Information Technology. I appreciate the Committee’s 6 continued focus on telecommunications issues that directly affect government operations, 7 emergency response, and public safety throughout the Territory. 8 9 The Bureau of Information Technology serves as the central technology organization for the 10 executive branch of the Government of the Virgin Islands. While BIT is not a retail 11 telecommunications provider, our responsibilities place us at the center of government 12 communications infrastructure. We oversee and support the networks and systems that 13 agencies rely on daily to deliver services, coordinate operations, and respond to 14 emergencies. As a result, the reliability, resilience, and security of telecommunications 15 infrastructure are foundational to our mission. 16 17 Telecommunications resilience is especially critical in the Virgin Islands due to our 18 geographic realities and exposure to natural hazards. Hurricanes and other disruptive events 19 have repeatedly demonstrated how quickly communications failures can cascade into 20 broader public safety and government continuity challenges. BIT’s work therefore 21 emphasizes ensuring that essential government communications remain available before, 22 during, and after emergencies, through redundancy planning, coordination with providers 23 and utilities, and continuity of operations support across agencies. 24 25 From a public safety perspective, dependable communications are not optional. Law 26 enforcement, emergency medical services, fire services, health agencies, and emergency 27 management all depend on stable and secure connectivity to perform their duties 28 effectively. BIT supports these functions by maintaining government networks that enable 29 interagency coordination and information sharing, particularly during emergencies. Our role 30 includes ensuring that these systems are designed with resilience in mind and that 31 cybersecurity considerations are integrated into telecommunications planning, recognizing 32 that disruptions can result from both physical damage and cyber incidents. 33 34 A significant portion of this work is carried out in close coordination with the Critical 35 Infrastructure Working Group, VITEMA, and the FirstNet Authority. These partnerships are 36 focused on strengthening public safety communications and ensuring that 37 telecommunications investments align with real operational needs during emergencies. BIT 38 serves as a technical and coordinating bridge between public safety stakeholders, federal 39 partners, and telecommunications providers to help advance resilient and interoperable 40 communications capabilities. 41 2 | P a g e Private Private Through our engagement with the FirstNet Authority and AT&T, BIT has been actively involved 42 in monitoring and supporting progress on FirstNet deployment commitments in the Virgin 43 Islands. Based on the most recent State Commitments update provided to BIT, several 44 permanent FirstNet sites on St. Croix, including West End, Green Cay, Sally’s Fancy, and Sion 45 Farm, are now on air and providing service. An interim solution at the Clairmont site is also 46 on air, while permanent construction activities continue. On St. John, construction has 47 begun at the Coral Bay site, with foundation work underway and equipment mobilization in 48 progress. 49 50 At the same time, BIT has remained engaged in addressing challenges that affect the pace 51 and completion of FirstNet deployment. On St. Croix’s East End, progress on the proposed 52 communications site continues to be affected by the Coastal Zone Management review 53 process. During its March 2026 meeting, the St. Croix CZM Committee elected to table a 54 decision on the proposed tower and requested additional information and consideration of 55 alternative solutions before moving forward. This action followed continued public 56 discussion and reflects the Committee’s effort to balance environmental, community, and 57 infrastructure considerations. BIT remains engaged with our partners to support a resolution 58 that advances public safety communications while respecting the regulatory process. 59 60 On St. Thomas, the originally proposed Tango site did not move forward due to unsuccessful 61 lease negotiations. While there was no formal permitting denial associated with that site, 62 telecommunications siting in the broader West End and Fortuna area has 63 historically required heightened sensitivity due to community concerns and competing land 64 use priorities. Consistent with that context, BIT has been working with AT&T and the FirstNet 65 Authority to evaluate alternative approaches, including enhancing Band 14 coverage at 66 existing sites such as Fortuna, to ensure public safety communications objectives are met. 67 68 In addition to broadband based public safety communications, BIT is advancing a major 69 upgrade to the Territory’s mission critical radio infrastructure through the planned 70 deployment of a Project 25, or P25, advanced digital land mobile radio network. BIT 71 has initiated the procurement process to design, build, and optimize a modern, 72 interoperable P25 radio system that will support police, fire, emergency medical services, 73 public works, utilities, and emergency management across the Virgin Islands. This initiative 74 is intended to replace legacy government radio systems and address longstanding 75 interoperability challenges that can emerge during largescale incidents, disasters, or 76 periods of commercial network congestion. BIT is already coordinating engineering analysis, 77 site assessments, procurement planning, and grant compliance activities with partner 78 agencies to move this effort forward in a deliberate and structured manner. 79 80 In parallel with these site specific and system level efforts, BIT’s coordination with VITEMA 81 and the Critical Infrastructure Working Group ensures that telecommunications planning is 82 integrated into broader emergency management and critical infrastructure resilience 83 efforts. This coordination helps ensure that communications investments support 84 3 | P a g e Private Private continuity of operations, disaster response, and interagency coordination, particularly 85 during hurricanes and other high impact events. 86 87 Despite ongoing progress, challenges remain. Aging infrastructure, funding constraints, and 88 complex permitting and coordination processes can slow the pace of modernization. 89 Addressing these challenges requires sustained collaboration among the Legislature, 90 executive agencies, regulators, and private sector partners. BIT believes that continued 91 engagement is essential to aligning policy, investment, and operational priorities in support 92 of resilient telecommunications infrastructure. 93 94 In closing, I want to thank Chairman Blyden and the members of this Committee for the 95 opportunity to present today. The Bureau of Information Technology remains committed to 96 working collaboratively to strengthen the reliability, resilience, and interoperability of 97 telecommunications infrastructure that supports government operations and public safety 98 in the Virgin Islands. I look forward to your questions and continued dialogue on 99 these important issues. 100